Board approves FY2027 state capital budget request after discussion of HVAC, roofing and gym air-conditioning priorities

The Howard County Board of Education on Thursday approved the superintendent's proposed FY2027 state capital funding request after a work session on building repairs and systemwide projects.

Board members voted 6-0 to approve the list of projects the district will ask the state to allocate funds toward in fiscal 2027, Chief Operating Officer Cornell Brown and Executive Director of Capital Planning and Construction Daniel Lubley told the board during a presentation that outlined systemic renovations, roofing replacements and the remaining gym air-conditioning projects that qualify for state funding.

The request focuses on four categories: security-related renovations, deferred maintenance for HVAC, roofing work and the HCPSS gym air-conditioning initiative that began in 2021. Lubley told the board the projects selected for FY27 meet state timing and eligibility requirements; some larger renewal projects such as Dunlago Middle School did not yet meet design-timing thresholds and were not included in the state-funded list.

Why it matters: The request frames which school systems projects will be eligible for state construction dollars next year and shapes the county's ask to the state. Many of the district's older buildings need HVAC and roof work; the board's approval sends this prioritized list to the state for review and potential allocation.

What staff told the board

Brown and Lubley said the recommendation uses the district's Educational Facilities Master Plan and state criteria to pick projects the district can submit in FY27. Staff recommended several HVAC system replacements identified as high-priority under the district's deferred-maintenance criteria, including Ilchester Elementary's HVAC as a top deferred-maintenance candidate within the systemic HVAC category. Fulton Elementary and Gorman Crossing were selected from the roofing deferred-maintenance list based on age and locally known conditions, Lubley said. The presentation noted 10 gym air-conditioning projects remain that are eligible for state funding; 14 additional schools will become eligible in later years.

Public commenters called for faster action

Parents and PTA leaders urged the board to give urgent attention to aging systems that affect classrooms now. Paulette Lewis, PTA president at Jeffers Hill Elementary School, said the school's HVAC still fails intermittently and that staff and families are coping with inconsistent heat and cooling, broken water fountains and classroom fans. "Cooling again is inconsistent; fans are throughout the hallways and in the classroom in a desperate attempt to make learning possible," Lewis said.

Mahogany Butler, president of the Lake Elkhorn Middle School PTSA, told the board she has heard from families about persistent ceiling leaks, nonfunctioning lockers and problems with drinking water access at that school and asked that the district's prioritization process account for such on-the-ground conditions.

PTA Council asks for an additional public hearing

Anthony DiBella, speaking for the PTA Council of Howard County, asked the board to schedule an additional public hearing after the superintendent presents the locally funded projects on Oct. 9 and before the board's deliberation and vote (the PTA Council requested a hearing between Oct. 9 and Oct. 23). DiBella said the Educational Facilities Master Plan and the HB1450 task force report on capital revenue options could substantially change priorities and that community stakeholders need time to analyze the local-project list before county-level deliberations.

Board deliberations and next steps

Board members asked staff for more granular information on several items: how the district ranks HVAC versus roofing needs, whether some deferred-maintenance items at schools such as Ilchester would remain if only an HVAC project goes forward, and when commonly reported problems at schools such as Jefferson Hill and Lake Elkhorn might be addressed. Staff said they will return to the board Oct. 9 with additional details on locally funded projects and a proposed long-range plan.

Votes at a glance

- Approval: Superintendent's FY2027 proposed state capital budget projects (state funding request list). Outcome: approved 6-0. Vote recorded as: Miss Chamblee (yes), Miss Ricks (yes), Miss Watts (yes), Doctor Chen (yes), Miss McCoy (yes), Miss Mallow (yes), Miss Moseley (yes) (student member Alister participates in roll calls but is not counted in the 6-0 tally). Motion/second: motion and second recorded; specific mover/second not specified in the transcript.

- Related procedural votes at the meeting (for transparency): Modified agenda approved (motion carries 8-0); Personnel agenda approved (motion carries 6-0-1, Ms. McCoy abstained); Consent agendas approved (restricted consent carries 7-0; consent agenda carries 8-0). For items where the transcript did not record full roll-call tallies, the minutes list counts as noted above.

Context and limitations

Lubley emphasized that some schools or larger renewal projects cannot be submitted for state construction funding in FY27 because they have not reached necessary design milestones. He also noted that industry guidance lists a 20-year expected useful life for roofs, but local maintenance and construction techniques can extend typical service lives to 25'to—2 years. Staff said they will continue to refine the project schedule and provide more school-by-school detail to the board and public.

What to watch next

The board will receive the superintendent's list of local projects and the long-range master plan discussion at its Oct. 9 meeting; the PTA Council and some parents urged an additional public hearing between that date and the board's subsequent deliberation so community groups can review and comment on the local-project list before the board votes.